Packaging and interconnect system for fiber and optoelectric components

ABSTRACT

A packaging system for optical or optoelectronic devices having a first package of micromachined material having at least one male connection component and a second package of micromachined material having at least one female component, wherein the male connection component is configured to mate with the female connection component. A mating surface of the male component and the female component has V-grooves designed to accept a first optical fiber and a second optical fiber, wherein the first V-groove ( 3 ) is configured to align with the second V-groove ( 6 ) when the first package and second package mate, thereby passively aligning the first optical fiber ( 4 ) with the second optical fiber ( 8 ) to form a high quality fiber butt joint. Alternatively, the female component is configured to accept a photodetector, wherein the first V-groove and second V-groove passively align the first optical fiber with the photodetector.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority from the co-pending U.S.Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/262,907 filed Jan. 22, 2001,and provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/315,443 filed Aug. 28,2001, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a packaging system for optical andoptoelectronic devices, more particularly, to a packaging system forconnecting optical fibers to each other or for connecting optical fibersto an electrical converter, and even more particularly to amicromachined plug and socket apparatus that uses V-grooves to passivelyalign optical fibers to each other, or optical fibers to an electricalconverter.

Conventional optical fiber to electrical converters require activealignment techniques. Similarly, conventional optical fiber to opticalfiber connections also require active alignment techniques. Conventionalmethods of connecting optical fibers, or optical fibers to an electricalconverter, require a skilled laborer to manually align the opticalfibers together, or to manually align the optical fiber to an electricalconverter. For example, first, the skilled laborer must manually movethe optical fiber into position. Next, the skilled laborer must performa test to determine if an acceptable response is achieved based on theposition of the optical fiber. If the response is not acceptable, theskilled laborer must reposition the optical fiber and perform anothertest to determine if an acceptable response is achieved based on therepositioning. This process must be repeated until an acceptableresponse is achieved. Once an acceptable signal has been achieved, theposition of the optical fiber in relation to the electrical convertermust be fixed by applying an adhesive. Further, the position of theoptical fiber in relation to the electrical converter must be maintaineduntil the adhesive sets or hardens. This adhesive can expand or contractwith temperature, moving the fiber out of alignment with the secondfiber or electrical converter. This process of active alignment is verytime consuming and cost inefficient. In addition, the requirement ofskilled labor to align the optical fiber to the electrical converterprohibits end users from attaching and reattaching the optical fibers,or the optical fiber to the electrical converter, without the expertiseof a skilled laborer. For example, connecting and disconnecting fibersrequires a time-consuming fiber splicing procedure every time the moduleneeds to be disconnected and reconnected. Further, the final assembly ofthe optical fiber to the electrical converter is limited to individualskilled laborers experienced in attaching the optical fibers toelectrical converters and prohibits the delegation of the assembly ofthese components to other non-skilled laborers. Alternatively, it isknown to use machines to position the optical fiber; however, even ifmachines are used, active testing is still required to verify that thesignal achieved is acceptable. As with manual positioning of the opticalfiber, if the signal achieved is unacceptable, the machine mustreposition the fiber and perform another test to determine if the signalis acceptable. This process is repeated until an acceptable signal isachieved. The position of the optical fiber is then fixed using anadhesive.

FIG. 1 depicts an example of a conventional fiber to photodetectordevice produced by Haleos, Inc. The silicon optical bench (SiOB)depicted in FIG. 1 is used for fiber to photodetector alignment andintegration with other electrical components. As shown in FIG. 1, theknown silicon optical bench 95 uses a V-Groove 92 to align the opticalfiber 91 with a ball lens 93. The ball lens 93 is positioned in a notch96 between the V-groove 92 and the photodetector 94. However, knownfiber to fiber, or fiber to electrical converter devices are not capableof being plugged and unplugged, at either the fiber end of the device orthe electrical end of the device, to provide modularity orupgradeability. In addition, conventional fiber to fiber and fiber toelectrical converter devices require additional external environmentalprotection because of their open-top design. Conventional packagingsystems use butterfly packages.

A conventional butterfly package is shown in FIG. 2. These butterflypackages have bulky metal housings 80 with DC feedthroughs 81 on eitherside. The DC feedthroughs are inserted in holes 82 having hermetic seals83. In addition, conventional butterfly housings include connectors 84on either side of the housing 80 for fiber in and electrical out,electrical in and electrical out, or fiber in and fiber outapplications. Conventional butterfly packages mount discrete devices,such as a silicon optical bench as shown in FIG. 1, inside the housing80 for connecting optical fibers to each other, or for connecting anoptical fiber to an electrical converter. The DC feedthroughs are wireor ribbon bonded to the discrete device within the housing 80. Further,conventional butterfly packages typically include a separate heatsink(not shown) mounted in the housing 80, as well as other discretecomponents. The housing 80 further includes a lid (not shown) sealed tothe top of the housing 80 with solder, or a hermetic seal.

However, because of the need to use a housing to encapsulate thediscrete devices, conventional butterfly packages suffer from increasedsize and weight. In addition, the conventional butterfly packagesrequire extended assembly and prototyping time, thereby increasingmanufacturing costs. The ability to rework, repair, or upgrade modulesis not possible using the conventional approach and therefore long termtotal cost of ownership is also high.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a packagingsystem for optical and optoelectronic devices for connecting opticalfibers to each other or for connecting optical fibers to an electricalconverter.

It is therefore another object of the present invention to eliminate theneed for costly active alignment of fiber to fiber and fiber toelectrical connections in the manufacturing process for optical andoptoelectronic modules.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide amicromachined plug and socket apparatus that uses V-grooves to passivelyalign optical fibers to each other, or optical fibers to an electricalconverter to greatly simplify the connection. For example, each socketand plug in the apparatus can have one or multiple V-grooves etched inthem with fibers positioned in each V-groove.

It is therefore another object of the present invention to provide aserial connection between one set of fibers and another set of fibers bysimply sliding the plug into the socket.

In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide ahigh quality fiber butt joint using V-groove alignment with a plug andsocket connector to precisely slide the fibers into alignment with eachother.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatusfor connecting a plurality of optical fibers, or an optical fiber to anelectrical converter, in which un-mating or disconnecting the connectorsis as simple as connecting the connectors.

It is yet another object of the invention to greatly lower the cost ofinstalling, maintaining, and troubleshooting optical distributionsystems.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an apparatus forconnecting a plurality of optical fibers, or an optical fiber to anelectrical converter, that improves flexibility and system prototypingto greatly reduce design cycle times and therefore overall system costs.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide integrated,prepackaged optical transmitters/modulators and detectors.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatusfor connecting a plurality of optical fibers, or an optical fiber to anelectrical converter, where different optical and electrical modules canbe connected together during system prototyping, or even in the field,to greatly lower system costs, for example, by reducing component costs,assembly complexity, design cycles, and prototyping moderations.

It is still another object of the present invention to form atwo-dimensional array of optical and electrical components and stackingthe two-dimensional arrays to form a highly compact three-dimensionalsystem of optical and electrical components.

It is yet another object to the present invention to provide anapparatus for connecting a plurality of optical fibers, or an opticalfiber to an electrical converter, where the optical fiber can beattached and detached from the electrical converter over and over,thereby providing a repeatable connection that provides ease ofreplacement, maintenance, prototyping, manufacturing, and upgrades tocomponents with different specifications. In addition, it is an objectof the present invention to provide an apparatus that permitsreconfiguring both on a test bench and in the field.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatusfor connecting a plurality of optical fibers, or an optical fiber to anelectrical converter, which can be optimized for low dispersion and lowloss. Specifically, it is an object of the present invention to providean apparatus for connecting a plurality of optical fibers, or an opticalfiber to an electrical converter, that has a zero to minimum dispersion.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide anapparatus for connecting an optical fiber to an electrical converterthat is scalable to allow scaling down the device in order to push theoperating frequency higher while maintaining minimal insertion loss,return loss, and group delay variation on the electrical side.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide anapparatus for connecting a plurality of optical fibers that is scalableto allow different optical fiber cross sections to be used fordifferent, shorter, or longer wavelength operation in addition todifferent optical fiber types, such as single-mode, multimode, andpolarization maintaining varieties.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide anapparatus for connecting a plurality of optical fibers, or an opticalfiber to an electrical converter, that is fully shielded to eliminateoutside noise.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide anapparatus for connecting optical fibers to an electrical converter thatis backward compatible with industry standard butterfly packages.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatusfor connecting optical fibers to an electrical converter that isindividually hermetically sealed to eliminate the need for butterflypackages or other environmental housings to surround and protect theoptical or optoelectronic components.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide anapparatus for connecting optical fibers to an electrical converter thatis hermetically sealed by sealing the top of the packages with asoldered lid (hermetic).

It is still another object of the present invention to provide anapparatus for connecting optical fibers to an electrical converter thatcomprises a series of modular low footprint packages that can be pluggedtogether, taken apart, changed around, and reconnected.

It is further object of the present invention to provide an apparatusfor connecting optical fibers to an electrical converter or other fibersthat distribute DC bias and signaling lines between modules, therebyeliminating the need for a butterfly package or similar industrystandard housing.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide anapparatus for connecting optical fibers to an electrical converter thatdecreases the size, weight, assembly time, and prototyping time, therebyreducing manufacturing costs.

Further objects, features and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent from the consideration of the following description and theappended claims when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above aspects of the present invention will become more apparent bydescribing in detail embodiments thereof with reference to the attacheddrawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional silicon optical bench foroptical fiber to photodetector alignment.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a conventional butterfly package usedfor environmental protection and mounting discrete components into anoptical or optoelectronic module.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view depicting a micromachined plug and socketpackaging system for forming an optical fiber butt joint using V-groovetechnology to align the fibers, according to a non-limiting embodimentof the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view depicting a micromachined plug and socketpackaging system for forming an optical fiber butt joint, according to anon-limiting embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view depicting a micromachined plug and socketpackaging system for forming an optical fiber to electrical converterconnection, according to another non-limiting embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 6A is a perspective view of a micromachined plug and socketpackaging system using micromachined V-grooves to provide impedancecontrol and to minimize the loss and dispersion of the shielded plug tosocket transmission line over wide bandwidths, according to anon-limiting embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6B is an assembled perspective view of a micromachined plug andsocket packaging system using micromachined V-grooves to provideimpedance control and to minimize the loss and dispersion of theshielded plug to socket transmission line over wide bandwidths,according to a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6C is a cross-sectional view of a micromachined plug and socketpackaging system using V-grooves to provide impedance control and tominimize the loss and dispersion of the shielded plug to sockettransmission line over wide bandwidths, according to a non-limitingembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 depicts the insertion loss (dB) versus frequency (GHz) for achip-to-chip connection through a plug and socket apparatus, accordingto a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 depicts the return loss (dB) versus frequency (GHz) for achip-to-chip connection through a plug and socket apparatus, accordingto a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 depicts the time delay (pS) versus frequency (GHz) for achip-to-chip connection through a plug and socket apparatus, accordingto a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 depicts a system of modules according to a non-limitingembodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described indetail with reference to the attached drawings. The present invention isnot restricted to the following embodiments, and many variations arepossible within the spirit and scope of the present invention. Theembodiments of the present invention are provided in order to morecompletely explain the present invention to one skilled in the art.

A non-limiting embodiment of a packaging system for optical andoptoelectronic devices for connecting optical fibers to each other, orfor connecting an optical fiber to an electrical converter, that solvesthe aforementioned problems, and others, is now described with referenceto FIGS. 3-10.

FIG. 3 depicts a series of optical fibers aligned between two etchedsilicon V-grooves of a plug and socket packaging system. The plug andsocket allow repeated assembly and disassembly of fiber arrayconnections without the need for costly active alignment techniques orequipment. As shown in FIG. 3, the plug 1 mates with the socket 2. Atleast one V-groove 3, 6 is formed in the mating surfaces of the plug 1and socket 2. Optical fibers 4 are positioned in the V-grooves 3, 6 ofthe plug 1 and socket 2, respectively. Optical fibers 4 are passivelyaligned by the corresponding shape of the V-grooves 3, 6 in the plug 1and socket 2, respectively. The dimensions of the V-grooves 3, 6 can bedesigned to achieve the desired position of the optical fibers 4.

FIG. 4 depicts a perspective view of a non-limiting embodiment of a plugand socket optical fiber connector. As shown in FIG. 4, the opticalfibers 4, 8 are positioned in the V-grooves 3, 6 of the correspondingplug 1 and socket 2. Each plug 1 and socket 2 in the system can have oneor multiple V-grooves 3, 6 etched in them with fibers 4, 8 laying ineach of the V-grooves 3, 6. By forming the plug and socket packagingsystem with the desired V-grooves 3, 6, the assembly of the apparatusrequires simply sliding the plug 1 into the socket 2 to form a serialconnection between the set of optical fibers 4, 8 positioned in theV-grooves 3, 6. A high quality butt joint is formed between the opticalfibers 4, 8. No active or manual alignment of the optical fibers 4, 8 isnecessary; rather, the optical fibers 4, 8 are passively aligned by thedimensions of the V-grooves 3, 6 so that when the plug 1 and socket 2are connected, the optical fibers 4, 8 are aligned and butted togetherwithin the V-grooves 3, 6.

In addition, in other embodiments of the present invention, a ball lenscan be passively positioned in a notch or groove between the opticalfiber 4 and the optical fiber 8, for focusing the optical signal that isbeing transmitted between the optical fiber 4 and the optical fiber 8,to form a fiber butt joint.

Moreover, according to the present invention, assembly and disassemblyof the apparatus can be repeatedly performed without having to test theapparatus for proper alignment. In addition, the un-mating ordisconnecting of the plug and socket connectors according to the presentinvention can be performed as easily as connecting the plug and socketconnectors, which greatly lowers the cost of installing, maintaining,and troubleshooting optical distribution systems.

The plug and socket packaging system of the present invention ispreferably formed from silicon; however, other materials can be used forappropriate applications. In addition, in the preferred embodiment, theplug 1 and socket 2 each have an outer metal shield 16. Thus, when theplug 1 mates with the socket 2, the optical fibers 4, 8 and the interiorof the package are completely encapsulated by not only the silicon plug1 and socket 2, but also by an outer metal shield 16 and a solderedmetal lid (not shown). Therefore, a fully-shielded connection within theplug/socket transition and entire packaged module is provided andoutside noise or interference is minimized or eliminated.

Further, the plug and socket packaging system of the present inventionpreferably includes a hermetically sealed lid, such as a lid solderedover the package, or another means for hermetically sealing eachindividual package without requiring a butterfly package to provideexternal environmental protection. Therefore, the conventional butterflypackage can be completely replaced by a plug and socket packaging systemthat is individually hermetically sealed. Alternatively, the plug andsocket packaging system according to the present invention can bemounted inside a conventional butterfly package so that repair,replacement, or upgrade of modules within the butterfly package can bemore efficiently performed, in comparison to conventional installedwithin the butterfly package.

FIG. 5 depicts a perspective view of a non-limiting embodiment of anapparatus for connecting an optical fiber to an electrical converter. Asshown in FIG. 5, socket 1 has a V-groove 3 in which an optical fiber 4is passively positioned. In addition, socket 2 has a correspondingV-groove 6 positioned to accept the optical fiber 4 and aligned with theV-groove 3. In this embodiment, a PIN photo detector 12 is used toreceive the signal from the optical fiber 4, however, other devices canbe substituted for Pin photodetector, such as MSM photodetectors oroptical modulator/detectors. The V-groove is designed so that bypositioning the optical fiber in the V-grooves 3, 6, the optical fiber 4is passively aligned with the sensor of the photodetector 12. Thephotodetector is surface mounted onto the package and is typicallyribbon bonded to the electrical lines. In addition, the package caninclude an additional plug 11 (as shown in FIG. 5) or socket (notshown), for connecting the conductor lines to an additional package (notshown).

In addition, a ball lens 10 can also be used to focus the light from theoptical fiber 4 to the sensor of the photo detector 12. It is importantto align the ball lens with the optical fiber 4 in order to properlyfocus the signal from the optical fiber 4 to the photo detector 12 oroptical modulator (not shown). As shown in FIG. 5, this is achieved byetching a cavity or notch 14 in the socket 2. This cavity or notch 14 ispredetermined so that, upon assembly, the ball lens 10 is passivelyaligned with the optical fiber 4 and photodetector 12. This preventsmisalignment of the ball lens with the optical fiber and eliminates theneed to manually align the ball lens 10 with the optical fiber 4 andphoto detector 12. The ball lens 10 is positioned in the cavity 14 and aglue or epoxy, or other adhesive is used to fix the ball lens 10 in thecavity 14.

In other embodiments, the plug 1 can include a corresponding V-groove orisotropically etched cavity that corresponds to the cavity or notch 14in the socket 2 so that when the plug and socket are assembled, theopposing cavities or V-grooves hold the ball lens in place, therebyeliminating the need to use glue or epoxy. In addition, the lens is notlimited to a ball lens; rather, other lens types can also be used. Forexample, a tubular or cylindrical lens can be used. The size and shapeof the cavity 14 can be predetermined to passively align thecylindrical, or other shaped lens, with the optical fiber 4 andphotodetector 12.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the photo detector 12 is mountedwithin the optoelectronic package which is electrically connected andintegrally formed with the socket 2. The CPW lines from the socket runinto the package interior and connect with the photodetector ormodulator using ribbon bonds or surface mount technology. Otherconductor lines, such as DC bias lines 24, can also be used orincorporated into the packaging system design. The socket 2 may furtherinclude an additional plug 11 or socket (not shown), so that theapparatus can be attached to an additional plug and socket apparatus toform a modular system.

The present invention is not limited to the placement of an opticalfiber in a plug and an electrical converter in a socket; rather, eithera plug or a socket, according to the present invention, is capable ofholding either of these devices, or a combination of these or otherdevices.

FIG. 6A depicts another non-limiting embodiment of a plug and socketconnector, according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 6A, plug1 is divided into three sections, each in the shape of a half-hexagon.In addition, the socket 2 also comprises three sections, each in theshape of a half-hexagon, as shown in FIG. 6C. The silicon plug 1 mateswith the socket 2, as shown in FIG. 6B. The plug 1 and socket 2 sectionsare formed in a mirror image so that when the plug 1 mates with thesocket 2 the assembly forms a hexagon-shaped cross-section, therebyencapsulating the optical fiber or electrical conductor within thehexagon-shaped cross-section, as shown in FIG. 6C.

The present invention is not limited to plugs or sockets with only threesections. The plug 1 and socket 2 can be divided into less than orgreater than three sections, depending on the application and the numberof electrical connections desired. In addition, the plug 1 and socket 2of the present invention are not limited to a hexagon-shape, and can beother shapes, for example, triangular in shape.

As shown in the non-limiting embodiment of FIGS. 6A-6C, the socket 2includes conductor lines, for example, a center conductor 20 and groundplanes 18 and 22. In addition, the socket 2 can also include DC biaslines 24 on either side of the conductor lines that mate with theadditional hexagon-shaped sections of the plug 1.

In order to achieve lower loss and help lower dispersion, V-grooves 33can be formed in the surface of the plug 1 and/or socket 2, therebyremoving a portion of the silicon, or dielectric, to create air gaps.This provides the designer with the ability to vary the dimensions ofthe V-grooves 33, thereby permitting the designer to control or designthe system for desired impedance. The V-grooves 33 form air gaps whichprovide a variable that the designer can adjust to lower loss. Inaddition, the designer can use this variable to control dispersion,i.e., to reduce time delay variation versus frequency. Further, the sizeof the air gaps can be varied to control impedance. More specifically,the ability to control the V-groove 33 size permits the apparatus to bedesigned to operate single-moded. For example, as the dielectric isremoved, the designer can push the “turn on” frequency of the next modeto a higher frequency, so the device will stay in a single mode andbehave more predictably with less chance for mode conversion or spuriousradiation.

Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 6A-6C, each of the plugs 1 has an outermetal shield 16. In addition, the outside surface of the socket 2 alsohas a metal shield 16. Thus, when the plug 1 mates with the socket 2,the assembly forms a hexagon-shaped cross-section that is completelysurrounded by an outer metal shield 16, thereby encapsulating theoptical fiber 4 or electrical conductors 18, 20, 22 within thehexagon-shaped cross-section, as shown in FIG. 6C, and providing afully-shielded connection within the plug/socket transition. Thepackaging system according to the present invention minimizes oreliminates outside noise or interference.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 6C, the center conductor 20 and groundplanes 18 and 22 can be formed on the mating surfaces of the plug 1 andsocket 2 to provide a surface connection between the plug 1 and socket2. In the present invention, multiple RF lines, such as 18, 20, and 22can be positioned next to each other, each in a separate hexagon, butall within the same plug/socket transition. Since each RF line isshielded by the outer metal shield 16 of each hexagon, the RF lines canbe densely packed together without crosstalk between them. Thus, eachplug 1 and socket 2 is capable of carrying three or more RF linesrunning adjacent to one another. This is especially useful for arrays ofelectronic devices or in multiplexing (MUX) or demultiplexing (DEMUX)applications.

In an example of a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention,multiple optical fibers positioned in passive alignment V-groovesinterface with individual PIN diodes. The individual PIN diodes receivethe optical signal from the individual optical fibers and convert thesignal to an electrical signal. Next, multiple 10 Gbit/sec electricallines are multiplexed into one 40 Gbit/sec optical line. This process oftaking parallel lines of optical signals and converting them into asingle serial line is known as Multiplexing (MUX). On the other hand,the process of taking a single serial line and converting it intomultiple parallel lines of optical signals is known as Demultiplexing(DEMUX). Thus, for example, four 10 Gbit/sec optical signals can becombined into one 40 Gbit/sec electrical signal. Conversely, forexample, four 10 Gbit/sec electrical signals can be combined into one 40Gbit/sec optical signal. According to the present invention, one packagecan perform a 1:4 or 4:1 conversion. Other conversions, such as 16:1,1:16 can also be performed by one package according to the presentinvention.

The present invention is not limited to RF lines, such as the centerconductor and ground planes depicted in FIGS. 6A-6C. For example, DCbias lines 24, which are also shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, can be formed onthe surfaces of the plug 1 and socket 2 to provide an electricalconnection. In addition, other forms of electrical connections can beformed on the surfaces of the plug 1 and socket 2, or positioned withinthe plug 1 and socket 2.

FIG. 6 shows a graph depicting the insertion loss (dB) versus frequency(GHz) for chip-to-chip connection through a plug and socket apparatus,according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 7, the insertionloss can be minimized throughout a wide range of frequencies by usingthe plug and socket system according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 shows a graph depicting the return loss (dB) versus frequency(GHz) for chip-to-chip connection through a plug and socket apparatus,according to the present invention.

FIG. 9 shows a graph depicting the time delay (pS) versus the frequency(GHz) for a plug and socket transition (or package to packagetransition) in a plug and socket packaging system, according to thepresent invention. The group delay deviation is nearly zero across allfrequencies due to the design of the present invention. This upperfrequency limit can be scaled to higher frequencies exceeding 100 GHzusing this technology, by shrinking down all dimensions proportionally.

Another advantage of the present invention is that, because thepackaging system is made out of silicon, the packaging system accordingto the present invention has a high thermal conductivity. The thermalconductivity of the silicon packaging system is equivalent to thethermal conductivity of a packaging system made of metal. One problemwith known optoelectronic modules is the requirement for high thermalconductivity in the packaging system. For example, heating of thepackage can cause movement of fiber alignment due to thermal expansionof dissimilar materials (for example, epoxy or solder holding fiber inplace, and PIN diode material, etc.). In known packaging systems, aseparate heat sink (for example, an additional component to select andattach during assembly) is located in the package to help with problemsof thermal conductivity.

The packaging system according to the present invention solves theseproblems. First, by holding the optical fiber in a V-groove plug andsocket alignment, the thermal drift of alignment is minimized. Second,the entire optoelectronic module is manufactured out of a base ofsilicon so it reduces the number of different materials making up themodule; thus, by forming more components out of a single material, suchas silicon, misalignment, which results from the use of differentmaterials that expand at different rates with temperature variations,can be minimized or eliminated. Third, because the silicon package isfunctioning both as a package and as a heat sink, the high thermalconductivity of silicon maintains the overall package at a loweroperating temperature for better thermal stability, provides for longeroperating lifetimes, and provides a less complicated assembly.

Moreover, optoelectronic converter modules, and systems based on thesemodules, can be manufactured according to the present invention. Forexample, FIG. 10 depicts a system having a first optical fiber module 40with passive V-groove alignment means 3 to provide an optical fiberoutput, a second optical fiber module 42 with a ball lens 10 and PINphotodetector 12 to provide an optical fiber input and electricaloutput, and a third module 44 having a millimeter wave transimpedanceamplifier. The first optical fiber module 40 is plugged into the secondoptical fiber module 42. The second optical fiber module 42 is thenplugged into a third module 44 to form a system of modules. In addition,the third module 44 can be plugged into a fourth module, and so on. Anynumber of modules can be assembled to form a system according to thepresent invention. Further, other variations or combinations of thepresent invention are possible, for example, the transimpedanceamplifier can be integrated into the PIN photodetector 12 and ball lens10 module so that the same system can be formed using only two modules,instead of three modules.

1. An optical or optoelectronic connection apparatus comprising: a firstpackage of micromachined material having at least one male connectioncomponent; a second package of micromachined material having at leastone female component; wherein said first package is configured to matewith said second package, wherein a surface of said male component has afirst V-groove, wherein a surface of said female component has a secondV-groove, wherein said first V-groove is configured to align with saidsecond V-groove when said first package and said second package mate,and a first optical fiber disposed in said first V-groove and saidsecond V-groove.
 2. The optical or optoelectronic connection apparatusaccording to claim 1, further comprising: a second optical fiber,wherein said second fiber is disposed in said second V-groove, wherebysaid first optical fiber is passively aligned with said second opticalfiber by said first V-groove and said second V-groove to form a fiberbutt joint.
 3. The optical or optoelectronic connection apparatusaccording to claim 1, further comprising: a photodetector disposed on asurface of said second package, whereby said first optical fiber ispassively aligned with said photodetector by said first V-groove andsaid second V-groove to focus an optical signal from said first opticalfiber on said photodetector.
 4. The optical or optoelectronic connectionapparatus according to claim 2, further comprising: a ball lens disposedon said surface of said second package between said first optical fiberand said second optical fiber, whereby said first optical fiber and saidsecond optical fiber are passively aligned with said ball lens by saidfirst V-groove and said second V-groove.
 5. The optical oroptoelectronic connection apparatus according to claim 4, furthercomprising: a cavity in said surface of said second package, said cavitydisposed between said first optical fiber and said second optical fiber,wherein said ball lens is disposed in said cavity.
 6. The optical oroptoelectronic connection apparatus according to claim 5, wherein saidcavity is a predetermined size based on a dimension of said ball lens,thereby aligning said ball lens with said first optical fiber and saidsecond optical fiber to focus an optical signal from said first opticalfiber to said second optical fiber.
 7. The optical or optoelectronicconnection apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising: a balllens disposed on said surface of said second package between saidphotodetector and said first optical fiber, whereby said first opticalfiber is passively aligned with said ball lens by said first V-grooveand said second V-groove.
 8. The optical or optoelectronic connectionapparatus according to claim 7, further comprising: a cavity in saidsurface of said second package, said cavity disposed between saidphotodetector and said first optical fiber, wherein said ball lens isdisposed in said cavity.
 9. The optical or optoelectronic connectionapparatus according to claim 8, wherein said cavity is a predeterminedsize based on a dimension of said ball lens, thereby aligning said balllens with said first optical fiber and said photodetector to focus anoptical signal from said first optical fiber on said photodetector. 10.The optical or optoelectronic connection apparatus according to claim 1,wherein said first V-groove and said second V-groove form a four-sidedtube for encapsulating said first optical fiber.
 11. The optical oroptoelectronic connection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein saidfirst package and said second package are individually hermeticallysealed for environmental protection.
 12. A packaging system for opticaland optoelectronic devices, comprising: a first package of micromachinedmaterial having at least one male connection component; and a secondpackage of micromachined material having at least one female component;wherein said first package is configured to mate with said secondpackage, and wherein at least one surface of said male component or saidfemale component has at least one V-groove.
 13. The packaging system foroptical and optoelectronic devices according to claim 12, wherein asurface of said male component has a first V-groove and a surface ofsaid female component has a second V-groove, wherein said first V-grooveis configured to align with said second V-groove when said first packageand said second package mate.
 14. The packaging system for optical andoptoelectronic devices according to claim 13, further comprising: afirst optical fiber disposed in said first V-groove and said secondV-groove.
 15. The packaging system for optical and optoelectronicdevices according to claim 14, further comprising: a second opticalfiber, wherein said second fiber is disposed in said second V-groove,whereby said first optical fiber is passively aligned with said secondoptical fiber by said first V-groove and said second V-groove to form afiber butt joint.
 16. The packaging system for optical andoptoelectronic devices according to claim 14, further comprising: aphotodetector disposed on a surface of said second package, whereby saidfirst optical fiber is passively aligned with said photodetector by saidfirst V-groove and said second V-groove.
 17. The packaging system foroptical and optoelectronic devices according to claim 16, furthercomprising: a ball lens disposed on said surface of said second packagebetween said photodetector and said first optical fiber, whereby saidfirst optical fiber is passively aligned with said ball lens by saidfirst V-groove and said second V-groove.
 18. The packaging system foroptical and optoelectronic devices according to claim 17, furthercomprising: a cavity in said surface of said second package, said cavitydisposed between said photodetector and said first optical fiber,wherein said ball lens is disposed in said cavity.
 19. The packagingsystem for optical and optoelectronic devices according to claim 18,wherein said cavity is a predetermined size based on a dimension of saidball lens, thereby aligning said ball lens with said first optical fiberand said photodetector to focus an optical signal from said firstoptical fiber on a sensor of said photodetector.
 20. The packagingsystem for optical and optoelectronic devices according to claim 12,wherein said first package and said second package are individuallyhermetically sealed for environmental protection.
 21. The packagingsystem for optical and optoelectronic devices according to claim 12,further comprising: a first conductor line on said surface of said malecomponent; and a second conductor line on said surface of said femalecomponent, wherein said first conductor and said second conductor are inelectrical contact with each other when said first package mates withsaid second package.
 22. The packaging system for optical andoptoelectronic devices according to claim 12, wherein an outside surfaceof said male component and said female component has a metal shield. 23.The packaging system for optical and optoelectronic devices according toclaim 21, wherein said first conductor line and said second conductorline comprise RF lines.
 24. The packaging system for optical andoptoelectronic devices according to claim 21, wherein said firstconductor line and said second conductor line comprise DC bias lines.25. The packaging system for optical and optoelectronic devicesaccording to claim 12, wherein said male component comprises a pluralityof plug sections.
 26. The packaging system for optical andoptoelectronic devices according to claim 12, wherein said femalecomponent comprises a plurality of socket sections.
 27. The packagingsystem for optical and optoelectronic devices according to claim 12,wherein said at least one V-groove on a surface of said male componentor said female component is a predetermined size to create an air gapwithin said apparatus.
 28. The packaging system for optical andoptoelectronic devices according to claim 12, further comprising aplurality of V-grooves on said surface of said female component or saidmale component, whereby said V-grooves create a plurality of air gapswithin said apparatus.
 29. An optical or optoelectronic connectionapparatus comprising: a first package of micromachined material havingat least one male connection component; a second package ofmicromachined material having at least one female component; a firstoptical fiber; and a second optical fiber, wherein said first package isconfigured to mate with said second package, wherein a surface of saidmale component has a first V-groove designed to accept said firstoptical fiber, wherein a surface of said female component has a secondV-groove designed to accept said first optical fiber and said secondoptical fiber, wherein said first V-groove is configured to align withsaid second V-groove when said first package and said second packagemate, thereby passively aligning said first optical fiber with saidsecond optical fiber to form a fiber butt joint.
 30. A packaging systemfor optical and optoelectronic devices, comprising: a first package ofmicromachined material having at least one male connection component; asecond package of micromachined material having at least one femalecomponent; a first optical fiber; and a photodetector, wherein saidfirst package is configured to mate with said second package, wherein asurface of said male component has a first V-groove designed to acceptsaid first optical fiber, wherein a surface of said female component hasa second V-groove designed to accept said first optical fiber, whereinsaid first V-groove is configured to align with said second V-groovewhen the first package and second package mate, thereby passivelyaligning the first optical fiber with said photodetector to focus anoptical signal from said first optical fiber on said photodetector. 31.A packaging system for optical and optoelectronic devices, comprising: afirst package of micromachined material having at least one maleconnection component; and a second package of micromachined materialhaving at least one female component; wherein said first package isconfigured to mate with said second package, and wherein an insertionloss of said packaging system ranges from 0.0 dB to −0.9 dB forfrequencies between 0 and 65 GHz.
 32. A packaging system for optical andoptoelectronic devices, comprising: a first package of micromachinedmaterial having at least one male connection component; and a secondpackage of micromachined material having at least one female component;wherein said first package is configured to mate with said secondpackage, and wherein a time delay deviation of said packaging systemranges from 0.0 pS to 1.5 pS for frequencies between 0 and 65 GHz. 33.The packaging system for optical and optoelectronic devices according toclaim 1, wherein said first package of micromachined material and saidsecond package of micromachined material are silicon.
 34. The packagingsystem for optical and optoelectronic devices according to claim 12,wherein said first package of micromachined material and said secondpackage of micromachined material are silicon.
 35. The packaging systemfor optical and optoelectronic devices according to claim 29, whereinsaid first package of micromachined material and said second package ofmicromachined material are silicon.
 36. The packaging system for opticaland optoelectronic devices according to claim 30, wherein said firstpackage of micromachined material and said second package ofmicromachined material are silicon.
 37. The packaging system for opticaland optoelectronic devices according to claim 31, wherein said firstpackage of micromachined material and said second package ofmicromachined material are silicon.
 38. The packaging system for opticaland optoelectronic devices according to claim 32, wherein said firstpackage of micromachined material and said second package ofmicromachined material are silicon.
 39. The packaging system for opticaland optoelectronic devices according to claim 2, further comprising: acylindrical lens disposed on said surface of said second package betweensaid first optical fiber and said second optical fiber, whereby saidfirst optical fiber and said second optical fiber are passively alignedwith said cylindrical lens by said first V-groove and said secondV-groove.
 40. The packaging system for optical and optoelectronicdevices according to claim 29, wherein a plurality of packaging systemsare stacked to form connectable and reconnectable three-dimensional plugand socket optical fiber arrays.
 41. The packaging system for opticaland optoelectronic devices according to claim 30, wherein a plurality ofpackaging systems are stacked to form connectable and reconnectablethree-dimensional plug and socket optical fiber to electrical converterarrays.
 42. The packaging system for optical and optoelectronic devicesaccording to claim 1, wherein said first package and said second packagecan be mated and unmated, whereby either of said first and secondpackage can be repaired or replaced.
 43. The packaging system foroptical and optoelectronic devices according to claim 29, wherein saidfirst package and said second package can be mated and unmated, wherebyeither of said first and second package can be repaired or replaced. 44.The packaging system for optical and optoelectronic devices according toclaim 30, wherein said first package and said second package can bemated and unmated, whereby either of said first and second package canbe repaired or replaced.
 45. The packaging system for optical andoptoelectronic devices according to claim 1, further comprising: abutterfly package for hermetically sealing a device within saidbutterfly package; wherein said packaging system for optical andoptoelectronic devices is mounted within said butterfly package, wherebymodifications to said device within said butterfly package is performedby replacing either or both of said first package or said secondpackage.
 46. The packaging system for optical and optoelectronic devicesaccording to claim 12, further comprising: a butterfly package forhermetically sealing a device within said butterfly package; whereinsaid packaging system for optical and optoelectronic devices is mountedwithin said butterfly package, whereby modifications to said devicewithin said butterfly package is performed by replacing either or bothof said first package or said second package.
 47. The packaging systemfor optical and optoelectronic devices according to claim 29, furthercomprising: a butterfly package for hermetically sealing a device withinsaid butterfly package; wherein said packaging system for optical andoptoelectronic devices is mounted within said butterfly package, wherebymodifications to said device within said butterfly package is performedby replacing either or both of said first package or said secondpackage.
 48. The packaging system for optical and optoelectronic devicesaccording to claim 30, further comprising: a butterfly package forhermetically sealing a device within said butterfly package; whereinsaid packaging system for optical and optoelectronic devices is mountedwithin said butterfly package, whereby modifications to said devicewithin said butterfly package is performed by replacing either or bothof said first package or said second package.